The Atonement Child
by SwimmerNinja13
Summary: Christmas special. As a result of past events, Maya and Edna had both come to believe Nya and Jay were their atonement children, that is until a catastrophe just before Christmas lands Nya and her unborn baby in the hospital and they all have to deal with the past once more. Come to find out, neither Nya or Jay was the atonement child but someone else entirely.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! So this is my Christmas special for the year. Part two will be updated on December 14. Just to warn you, part one isn't very Christmasy, but it sets up the scene for what happens in part two. Also, this story contains some tender subjects that should be handled with maturity. Nothing inappropriate, just more serious. I don't condone anything some of the characters may have done, just to put that out there. Also, this is essentially set in the future for Ninjago but present time for us. If you don't know what I mean, you'll figure it out when you start reading.**

 **Aside from that, merry Christmas and please enjoy!**

 _August 1985:_

Maya grinded her teeth as she tried to ignore the pain. Something poked her and made her want to scream. In the past couple years, her elemental training had lead to its fair share of injuries, but nothing compared to the pain she felt right now. She'd chosen this.

Deep inside, she felt the burn of guilt. What if things had gone a different way. If it weren't for her training with the elemental masters, her story may have gone a different way. But her training had led to her meeting Ray, the guy she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, if only he would see it that way too.

Maya knew that if Ray were to ever fall for her, she'd have to get rid of her rebellious past. Some things had to be sacrificed. But no matter how she justified her actions, for love and for Ninjago, someone still nagged at her that this was wrong. It was too late now though.

"Lord, forgive me," Maya whispered.

 _December 1, 2018, the monastery:_

"At seven months along, your baby has developed its own personality and is growing rapidly. Your baby will be stretching out its fingers and toes, as she is now able to move them," Nya read off her phone the monthly email she and Jay received about what to expect during pregnancy.

"So you're saying our daughter's personality is determined already?" Jay asked.

Nya nodded.

"Awesome! I hope she's as strong willed as her Mom," Jay kissed Nya's cheek.

"And I hope she's as funny as her dad," Nya replied.

"Can you two stop?" Kai interrupted, "There are people trying to eat breakfast here!"

"Kai, don't you care about your niece?" Jay asked.

Lloyd and Cole made eye contact. Zane raised an eyebrow. Anybody could tell this wasn't about to go down well.

"I just hope she's not a hopeless romantic like either of her parents!" Kai rolled his eyes.

"You're just saying that cuz you and Skylor broke up... again!" Lloyd interjected, "What is it, eighth time's the charm?"

"Ow!" Nya cried out. She put a hand on her abdomen and the other on Jay's shoulder to keep from falling over.

"You're not going into labor, are you?" Kai asked. Jay's face turned white. Since Nya and Jay had announced their pregnancy to their parents, Maya had told Nya plenty about how she was born two months early and had spent several weeks after that in the hospital. Nya's biggest fear had become giving birth early, and thus it was Jay's as well.

"This doesn't feel right!" Nya groaned again.

 _Later that day, Ed and Edna's Scrap and Junk:_

It was days like today that Edna couldn't help but think of Bella. Years before Jay had landed on her doorstep, she and Ed had had their first child. Edna would've liked to say that Bella had been her everything, but it simply wasn't true. She hadn't realized what a treasure Bella was until she was gone.

Edna hadn't been paying attention, she never had, so when she first noticed the slight drizzle, the way it was drizzling now, it was too late. She'd went outside to find Bella and found her goodbye letter instead. Her Bella was gone, crushed herself in the trash compactor because her world was falling apart and her parents were too self absorbed to notice.

She and Ed almost divorced, Edna prayed for another child, one she was told she was too old to have to prove to herself she could be a better mother. Then God sent her Jay, quite literally from up above.

Jay saved her marriage and kept her from repeating her daughter's actions. That's why when Edna got the phone call from Jay at the hospital she began to panic.

"Lord, don't take Jay's child from him because of what I've done."

 _December 14, 1992, four weapons shop:_

Maya wasn't one to waste time on tears, but today it seemed like there was plenty of time to spend crying. She unclipped her locket and popped open the heart. Inside it she had placed the ultrasound photo of her baby daughter. Her _dead_ baby daughter.

Miscarriages were the cruelest trick that could be played on a mother to be. All Maya's hopes and dreams literally were ripped out of her. She'd already picked her baby's name. Isabelle. She'd wanted to name her daughter that since she was eight, and now her Isabelle would never open her eyes, never know how much her mother loved her. And what about the child who was never loved? No child deserved to be unloved and cast away before taking their first breath. Maya longed for all the unborn children, she wanted them all to have a chance she wished hers were given.

Although there was still a large possibility she could get pregnant again, Maya just knew there would never be another Isabelle. It just wouldn't be the same.

It wasn't the same. Maya and Ray buried the ultrasound and locket under a tree. Maya hardly went out after that, that was until 1994 when she became pregnant with a boy. Although Maya refused to pick a name until she held her son in her arms, she loved her son every day and prayed for a safe arrival into the world.

Kai was born July 18, Maya's birthday. She thanked God for the little blessing she held.

"And please Lord, grant me a daughter as well."

He did.

Nya was born April 15, 1996, and Maya at last had a daughter to hold in her arms.

 _December 1, 2018, the hospital:_

"Are they okay?" Jay stood up frantically as the nurse returned to the waiting room, "Can I please see my wife?"

The nurse nodded, "Your wife and daughter are going to be fine, but you should know, they're in rough shape. Nya's going to have to go on strict rest until your baby is born."

Kai snorted, relieved to hear that his sister was okay, "She's gonna hate that!"

"You two go in and see her, we'll send your parents in when they get here," Lloyd told Kai and Jay.

"Thanks guys," Jay smiled, "You have no idea how much Nya and I just appreciate you guys being here."

"Anything for our niece," Cole shrugged.

Nya's face brightened as Jay and Kai entered her room, "Hey," she said meakly.

"Hey, love," Jay sat down on the edge of Nya's bed and picked up her hand, "How are you feeling?"

"I've felt better," Nya sighed, "I'm just so thankful that our daughter survived."

Jay kissed Nya's forehead, "Yeah, and I'm glad you did too."

"So, I heard you're going on house arrest, huh?" Kai asked as he took a seat in a swivel chair the other side of Nya.

Nya nodded, "Yeah, but I'll do anything for my child."

"Nya! We were worried sick when we got Jay's call!" Maya exclaimed as she and Ray entered the room, "Is my grandchild alright?"

"She's fine, Mom," Nya smiled candidly.

"Oh thank the Lord!" Maya praised.

 _April 15, 1996:_

Maya wasn't supposed to go into labor for another two months, so when the contractions started while she was boiling noodles for Mac and cheese, Kai's favorite, it caught her off guard and sent her falling to the floor.

"Ray!" Maya shouted, "The baby's coming!"

Ray came rushing in from the shop. Moments later, the three of them were in the car on their way to the hospital. Maya fought the urge to scream. Only once before had she felt something like this. This time, instead of fighting it, she welcomed it. Soon she'd hold her daughter in her arms.

"Hold on little one," Maya whispered, "We're almost to the hospital. I can't wait to meet you."

 _December 2, 2018:_

Edna woke up to a sore neck from sleeping in the hospital chair all night. When Nya was told she'd be staying the night, she and Maya insisted Jay go home and sleep in an actual bed. Nya and the baby were fine, and the two of them would stay with her. She had been dreaming about Bella again. She always dreamt about Bella when she slept in weird places. How long had Bella felt like she was sleeping in a stranger's house? At least it brought Edna comfort to know Nya would never cast away Edna's grand daughter the way she'd cast away her daughter.

Maya and Nya were already awake.

"So it's a plan then?" Maya asked.

"I need to confirm with Jay, then yes," Nya replied.

"What's a plan?" Edna asked as she rubbed sleep out of her eyes and searched the side table for her glasses.

"Jay and I are going to stay with my parents until the baby's born," Nya explained, "We'll be closer to the hospital and I want to be with my mom. I, I..." Nya stopped, searching for the words.

"Don't want to be alone in this?" Edna finished for her, "I understand. As long as Maya you're okay with it, I'd like to visit, to be with you too. I know it's scary after what happened yesterday."

"Thank you Edna," Nya smiled and tears formed in her eyes. She wiped them away with her pinky, "Whew! Hormones are getting to me!"

Maya laughed, "and of course you and Ed are welcome any time. Ray and I love having company. That's why we built our house and shop together. It made it easy to do dinner with out customers."

At that moment, Nya's phone buzzed. Nya grinned, "Jay says he'll meet us at the shop tonight with our stuff."

 _December 14, 1991:_

Bella gagged as she entered her foster parents's junkyard. She'd been here for five years and she still couldn't stand the smell of rubber tires melting in the sun. Ed and Edna didn't seem to notice. They didn't notice a lot. Last night she'd stayed at her friends without telling them. Nobody searched for her. She wondered if they'd even noticed she was gone. Edna had told her once, she wasn't able to have kids, but she'd always wanted to be a parent. She finally was a parent, a horrible parent.

Upset, Bella hurried to her tiny excuse for a room and began to release all her bottled up anger.

 _To whom it may concern (which apparently is nobody):_

 _I've had enough. My boyfriend dumped me, and I had nobody to tell. Ed and Edna are always physically here, but they're not here, here like they said they would be for me. They broke their promise just like Mom did. She said she'd never leave me then drunk her way into oblivion and never woke up. Ally didn't keep her promise when she told everyone how I failed my precalc test. And Carl broke his promise too when he said he'd love me forever then dumped me. I'm tired of everyone breaking their promises. That's why I must do this. To everyone who promised to be there for me, you're the reason I'm doing this._

 _Without regrets,_

 _Bella_

Without thinking, Bella rushed outside and pinned the letter down with a rock and turned the trash compactor on. She slid down into it, closed her eyes, and she waited.

 _December 6, 2018, four weapons:_

Jay laid awake staring at the glow in the dark stars glued to the ceiling of Nya's old room. They'd settled in a few days ago, but Jay still wasn't used to sleeping in the new space. Everything was still the way Nya had left it seven years prior when she and Kai moved into the monastery. Everything Nya hadn't bothered to take with her still sat collecting dust, including an old Jamanickai High sweatshirt tossed on the back of her desk swivel and a faded post it with _finish precalc homework_ scribbled on it in rushed handwriting. Nya's backpack hung on a hook by the door, and her precalc textbook sat open on her desk. Various colored pens were scattered around her desk and nightstand. Bible verses and pictures of Nya and her old friends were pinned to a clothes line on the wall opposite Jay.

This side of Nya fascinated Jay mostly because he never saw it. He wondered how things would've been different had they grown up together. Would he have known more about the things that were important to her back then? Sure the ninja had all talked about high school before, but it was different than actually seeing. He wouldn't have known Nya color coded all of her binders. Seeing this side of Nya made Jay love her even more if that was even possible.

Jay rolled over and looked at Nya. She was long sound asleep with an arm draped protectively over her stomach. Jay put an arm around her and shifted closer listening to her breathing.

"Lord, please keep Nya and our daughter safe," Jay prayed quietly.

Nya's eyes fluttered open, "Is something wrong?" she whispered.

"Not at all," Jay replied, "I didn't mean to wake you."

Nya shifted over snuggling close to Jay. "Okay," she said as she closed her eyes, "I love you."

"I love you too."

 _December 7, 2018:_

"Good morning, Jay" Ray greeted as Jay walked down stairs still in pajamas with a tired look on his face.

"Coffee?" Maya asked and raised a pot she'd just made.

"Yes please!" Jay replied. Maya handed him a mug, and he sat down beside Nya, "Good morning, love."

"Good morning," Nya replied and smiled though her face was weary.

"Do you feel okay?" Jay asked and gently put a hand to Nya's forehead.

Nya removed it. "I'm fine, Hon. Just a little bored. I don't know how much more sitting around I can take."

"Hold on, I think I might have an idea to fix that," Jay grinned and pulled out his phone to shoot a text at the rest of the team.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Maya opened it to find Kai, Zane, Cole, and Lloyd holding grocery bags and smiling far too much to mean anything good.

"You guys came!" Nya exclaimed as she joined her mother in the front room, "Jay said he was going to invite you."

"Yup. And what we didn't tell Jay was that we were bringing a fun game with us," Lloyd winked.

"That doesn't sound good," Maya remarked, "What kind of game is it?"

"You'll see," Cole shrugged and walked straight into the living room, "Unfortunately Wu couldn't make it, so we were told to videotape this for him," he explained as he set up a mini tripod for his phone.

"Nya, I'm afraid we're going to have to blindfold you," Lloyd said and began tying a bandana around her eyes before Nya got a chance to protest.

"Also, we need to blindfold Jay, where is he?" Kai added.

"In the shop with Dad," Nya replied as Lloyd attempted to lead her to the couch.

As soon as Jay was blindfolded and seated beside Nya, Kai cleared his throat, "Okay you two! Within the next couple months, you are going to be parents. I know you've been reading lots of parenting books and thinking you've got this, but I'm here to tell you that you aren't! Fortunately for you, we all happen to be childcare experts!"

"Are you sure about that?" Jay challenged.

"Did I say you could talk?" Kai barked, "No! Anyway, today's lesson will be on a very important aspect of your baby's nutrition. Baby food. It's important to make sure your child gets a proper amount of food everyday, so they don't starve and die, but babies find several of the flavors found at the local grocery stores disgusting and won't eat them, leading to their starvation. Today you will be doing a blind taste test to figure out what those flavors are, so you know not to buy them for your baby."

"Oh no!" Nya groaned.

"Oh yes! Earlier today Cole and Lloyd were tasked with the important job of finding the weirdest baby food flavors for you to enjoy, and boy did they deliver!" Kai exclaimed, "Now, all you two have to do is figure out what each flavor is and rank from best to worst each of the flavors. Easy."

With that, Cole and Lloyd shoved a spoonful of some pink lump into Jay and Nya's mouths.

"So, what do you think it is?" Zane asked the pair as they both stared gagging.

"Radishes?" Nya guessed, feeling the sting of tears beginning to form and the tingling almost spicy but not quite taste on the back of her tongue.

"Correct!" Kai applauded, "Point one goes to Nya! Time for round two. In this round, it may be hard to guess, so we're allowing you to smell it first.

Spoons were held under their noses allowing them both to smell the next food.

"It smells like cat food!" Jay remarked, "You didn't buy cat food too, did you?"

"I'm gonna throw up!" Nya threw off her blind fold and ran off.

"Maybe that one was a bad idea..." Kai remarked as Lloyd shoved the spoon in Jay's mouth.

"It is cat food!" Jay exclaimed.

"No!" Cole informed him, "It's pureed chicken liver."

"Same thing," Jay shrugged.

A moment later, Nya returned with a glass of water.

"Are you alright sis?" Kai asked as she sat down again.

"I'm fine," Nya replied, "But no offense, I'm going to sit out the rest of this game."

For the next hour, the ninja watched Jay and Kai, who was voluntold by Jay he had to fill Nya's place, tried all of the types of baby food. Nya laughed as Jay fake pretending to like some awfully unappetizing flavors. She knew he was doing it to make her smile. She loved that man so much. By the end of it, Nya's realized her stomach hurt, but in a good way. Not from wanting to throw up, not from the agony that sent her to the hospital days ago. It hurt from laughter. For the first time since the hospital trip, Nya wasn't afraid she'd lose her baby.

 _December 8, 2018:_

Nya was wide awake this time instead of Jay. In fact, this was the first night Jay had slept soundly that week. As for Nya, her baby was currently kicking her in the ribs and keeping her awake.

She felt the urge to get up, all week she'd done nothing strenuous, and the thought of lying still any longer made her legs itch with anticipation. Silently, Nya crept down stairs for a glass of water.

To her surprise, Maya was still up reading, and Ray was passed out on the couch beside her as an old telenoveva played quietly.

"Hey Mom," Nya whispered and came into the room.

"Hey sweetie, what are you doing up?" Maya smiled and patted at the seat next to her.

Nya sat down, "Couldn't sleep. Somebody decided to practice their fighting skills."

Maya's grin faded. She put her hand on Nya's belly, "You practice hard my grandchild. When you come into the world, I want you to be strong, even if it means keeping your mother up all night."

Nya laughed, "Especially then. I just want her to be healthy."

Maya's eyes welled up, "I do too. I'm sorry my punishment had to carry on to you too darling."

"What?"

Maya rubbed her eyes, "Darling, I'm going to tell you something I've only ever told your father. I'm sorry you have to hear this..."

"What Mom? I can handle it."

"I know you can darling," Maya sighed, "Here it goes."

"When I was a teenager I put myself in unsafe situations. Sure I had my elemental training, but besides that, I had the tendency to hang out with the wrong kind of people. I had a boyfriend, but he was always pressuring me to drink and do things I didn't want to. Then I met your father, and I realized he was the type of guy I'd rather be with. I went to break things off with my boyfriend, and he got angry, he threw a chair at me, and he..."

"I'm sorry Mom," Nya choked.

"By some crazy odds, I got pregnant. I should've kept the baby, but I was so scared. I didn't want to give up my training, and I was scared your dad would've judged me for it even though we weren't dating yet. I was selfish. All my life, I'd wanted a daughter, I was too dumb to realize God was giving me one on his time, not mine. Then years later, I miscarried your older sister. Then I had Kai. I thought God was punishing me for aborting my first child. Then I got pregnant with you, and there were all sorts of complications. I didn't believe God had forgiven me until you were born. Then you nearly lost your daughter..." Maya burst into tears.

"I wish I didn't know that," Nya whispered and joined her mother in softly crying. It was complicated. She knew God forgave her, and Nya herself forgave her, even if it wasn't her place to. She just couldn't go back to not knowing.

Later, Nya returned to bed, her face still itchy and red from crying.

Jay woke up as Nya slid back under the sheets, "Is everything alright?"

Nya shook her head and another bout of tears began. Jay held her waiting for her to calm down enough to speak coherently.

"I wish I could tell you," Nya whispered between ragged breaths, "But it's my mom's secret to tell, not mine."

"I understand," Jay replied and hugged Nya until her quivering stopped, and she fell asleep in his arms.

 **So, on that depressing note, what are you guys doing for Christmas? My family is hosting twenty people! Yikes! It will be fun but definitely hard to get a warm shower. Thanks for reading this, and I can't wait for you all to read part two!**

 **Merry early Christmas!**

 **#God's Not Dead!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! Thanks for all the lovely reviews on part one. Here's part two.**

 _December 10, 2018:_

"Fifteen days until Christmas!" Ray had announced one evening as he and Jay made their way back from a walk.

"We know Dad," Nya replied and looked up from the scrabble game she and Maya were playing to pass the time. Over the past couple days, she and her mom had grown closer now that Nya understood the turmoil Maya had been putting herself through.

"What do you say we go watch the church's Christmas pageant and pick out a Christmas tree? You look like you could use a couple hours out of the house."

"That would be great," Maya replied, "Nya are you feeling up to it?"

Nya nodded, "I haven't been to the Christmas pageant in so long."

"I remember when you and Kai were in it," Ray remarked, "You were the stars of the show."

"Dad, I think Jesus is supposed to be the star of the show. I was just an angel!"

"I think we still have the tape," Maya said, "We've still got an hour and a half before we have to leave, let's watch it."

 _December 12, 1999, Jamanickai Village Church:_

Three year old Nya was frightened. She'd never been on stage before, and for some reason, she'd been chosen as leader of the angel chorus. She didn't have to say anything of course, she just had to walk on stage when she was told to and sing the first Noel with a bunch of angels all older than her. The Sunday school teachers thought it would be cute to have the leader of the angel chorus be the youngest child in Sunday school. Little Nya was the youngest, and the cutest, especially in her angel costume.

From behind the curtain, Nya could see Kai tramping around in his donkey costume. It looked hideous, but Kai was one of the more rowdier kids at the church, and the role seemed to fit him. Kai didn't sing though, and that made Nya jealous.

Finally, I was time for Nya to enter the stage. The baby doll being used for Jesus had been born, and it was time for all the little angels to sing to him.

Nya's heart beat quickly. Her palms became clammy, and her face contorted with worry in a cute way only a child's face could.

Then Nya set her eyes on the baby doll Jesus and imagined what it must've been like to sing for him the night he was born. The nervousness went away and Nya sang her little heart out for Jesus.

 _December 10, 2018:_

"That was adorable!" Jay clapped his hands together grinning to Nya's annoyance.

"You're just enjoying it because it's my parents trying to embarrass me and not the other way around!" Nya protested.

"Not at all!" Jay held his hands up, feigning innocence, "you just made a really cute angel, and Kai made a really hideous donkey!"

"He was pretty dorky," Nya agreed, "too bad he isn't here so we can humiliate him."

"We will when we see him next," Jay assured her, "Now let's go see this year's Christmas pageant, although I doubt this year's lead angel will be half as adorable as you are."

 _December 11, 2018:_

Nya hadn't slept since Sunday night. Her baby tended to exercise its limbs all the time. No matter how she turned, she couldn't make herself comfortable.

She wondered if her baby would be born early. After what had happened a week and a half ago, it wouldn't be all that surprising. Nya put her hand on her stomach and smiled. Her daughter was getting stronger.

Nya and Jay had talked names before, but they'd never come to a conclusion on one. Suddenly though, it hit Nya what she wanted to name their daughter. It was a name for strength.

Squinting in the minimal starlight sifting in through behind her old curtains, Nya pulled a pen and stack of sticky notes off her nightstand, so she could tell Jay in the morning.

 _December 12, 2018:_

It wasn't the sound that woke Jay but the silence. He could usually hear Nya and her parents already hurrying around the kitchen, so something was off.

Jay got up, pausing before touching his feet to the carpet to stretch, and went downstairs.

A note from Ray and Maya was left on the counter.

 _Neighbor lost his father. Running him a casserole. We'll be back soon. Breakfast is in the fridge. R and M._

Jay put down the note and went to go search for Nya. He found her passed out on the sofa. The morning news was turned on, playing quietly.

Nya moaned and woke up.

"Hey," Jay smiled.

"Hey yourself."

"Did you have trouble sleeping last night?"

Nya nodded, "Our baby wedged her foot into my ribcage."

"Ouch," Jay winced, "I can't imagine."

"It's fine," Nya shrugged, "I'm just really tired."

"Want me to get breakfast heated up?" Jay asked.

"Sure," Nya replied and followed him into the kitchen. She propped her elbows against the counter top while Jay stuck their meal in the microwave, "I forgot to tell you, last night I thought of an idea for our baby's name."

"Yeah? What is that?"

Nya told him. Jay liked it for the same reasons Nya had. It was a name of strength, for a child who had to be strong.

Nya and Jay returned to the couch and plopped down with their eggs and sausage.

"This is nice," Jay sighed, "just you and me. We never get time alone like this."

"Mmmm hmmm, I miss it," Nya replied as she stabbed at a piece of sausage with her fork.

"To think, we're about to have a child too. How are we ever going to find alone time?"

"Well, I think we know four guys who would love to babysit," Nya suggested, "Although, I'm not sure what we'd come home to."

Jay laughed, "It's not just that. Even when we aren't having our date nights, we don't have anywhere in the monastery where it's just are family. I mean yes, the guys are our family, Kai's your brother for crying out loud, but there's no where in the monastery for _our_ family, just you, me, and our child."

"We could move," Nya stated so matter of factly, it caught Jay off guard.

"What?"

"We could, you know, buy a house like most married couples do, raise our family there. It's not like the monastery is a particularly safe place for children anyway."

"So would we still be ninja?" Jay asked.

"I don't see why not if that's what we wanted to do. Or, we could finally start up that gadget business we've always talked about," Nya replied, "It'd be an earnest way to provide for our children. It's not like we've been making much since crime rates have gone down in Ninjago City."

"True, but what about the guys?"

"Didn't you just say you wanted more space for just our family? We'd still see them, we'd just also be able to focus more on family life and time as a married couple. Besides, they're all going to want to settle down eventually too. Lloyd's the only one I can picture staying at the monastery."

"Have you thought about this before?" Jay asked, "you seem like you've got this all planned out."

"Not really," Nya shrugged, "I guess I may have considered we'd have to move out at some point, but I'd never given much more thought."

"Why didn't we talk about this sooner? We really should have developed a plan."

"Maybe because we don't know what we're doing?"

"Maybe," Jay agreed, "want me to take your plate?"

Nya nodded and handed it to him. Jay threw the plates in the sink, pausing on the way back to grab their computer. Jay sat down and logged on. He pulled up a housing site, and the two of them began their search for a family starter home.

(Time skip)

Ray and Maya still hadn't returned when the doorbell rang shortly after lunch. Jay would've worried if it weren't for the text Nya had read to him from her mother.

Jay slid out from under the blanket he and Nya were snuggled beneath and went to answer the door.

"Mom?" Jay asked. He hadn't been expecting her to come today. His parents really only visited once or twice a week, and today was supposed to be Edna's quilting circle, so he hadn't thought they'd come today.

"Hi Jay! My quilting circle got cancelled, so I figured I'd pay you a surprise visit!" Edna replied as she stepped indoors and began clicking the snow off her boots on a towel Maya had set out. She'd said it was mostly for Ray who liked to leave his shoes on throughout the store and the house and get snow all over everything.

"That's great Mom! Nya and I were just looking at houses. Ray and Maya are at a friend's." Jay welcomed Edna into the living room where Nya was currently scrolling through houses on their computer. She looked up and smiled.

"Hi Edna!"

"Hi deary, Jay says you two are looking at houses?"

Nya nodded, "yup. We figured with the baby on the way, we want a place of our own."

Jay and Edna sat down on either side of Nya.

"Here's the house we're looking at," Jay clicked on a photo and another stream of photos appeared on the screen, "we have an appointment to see the house on Monday.

"It's cute. What a great starter home!" Edna replied.

"That's what we thought," Nya smiled, "and it looks pretty roomy, so it will be perfect with a baby on the way."

"Speaking of the baby, how's she doing?" Edna asked.

"She's perfect," Nya grinned and put a hand on her stomach.

"Have you decided on a name yet?"

"We have," Jay and Nya replied together.

Edna raised an eyebrow.

"But we're not telling anyone until after she's born."

"Okay, I understand," Edna frowned, slightly disappointed.

"Mom?" Jay asked.

"I just hope you don't lose her. Losing a child is the worst thing that can happen to a parent," Edna began to cry.

"We're not going to lose her," Nya put a hand on Edna's shoulder, "the doctors say she's going to be perfectly healthy. That day in the hospital was just one scare. Everything is fine."

"I hope it is," Edna said, "I don't want either of you to go through what Ed and I did."

And like that, the story of Bella came out. By the end, Nya and Jay were crying along with her.

 _1 am, December 13, 2018:_

"Can we put glow in the dark stars in the nursery?" Nya wondered dreamily as she and Jay laid awake that night. After Edna had left, the two of them decided to go out on a date. They'd eaten at a local restaurant and spent the rest of the evening picking out items for the house they still didn't own.

"I don't see why not," Jay replied, staring up at Nya's stars.

Although awake, the two of them had spent the whole night dreaming. It was like falling in love all over again, except this time harder. Their day alone for the most part had proven to them just how much they needed space for their family and their family alone.

"How are we gonna break this to the guys?" Nya asked.

"Let's wait until we've found the right place, then tell them."

"Okay," Nya yawned, "I don't think I can stay awake any longer. I'm going to sleep."

"Okay. Goodnight, love."

Nya mumbled something unintelligible and curled up against Jay. Jay wrapped his arms around her and listened to her breathing. His mind wandered back to Edna's story just hours before. He mourned for the sister he'd never seen. He never wanted to go through what his parents had, he had once before.

Jay pulled Nya closer as thoughts of an evil djinn danced around his head. He wouldn't let anything happen to his wife or his daughter, ever again.

 _December 14, 2018:_

"And I'll play on Edna's log to make biology," Nya grinned and placed her letter tiles. Ed had dragged Ray along to a scrap metal bidding war (a/n: so, I looked this up, and it's actually a thing fyi), and Edna, Maya, Jay, and Nya were enjoying the relaxing evening together playing passive aggressive scrabble.

Maya scribbled down Nya's score, and the turn passed to Jay. He sat there for a while with an indecisive look drawn across his face.

"Hurry up, Jay. Nya's gonna go into labor before you finish this!" Maya groaned.

"Sorry, I've got to think. This is a skill game!" Jay talked smack right back.

"Funny you should say that, Mom..." Nya trailed, a look of sheer panic written on her face.

They were on the highway in a few minutes time. Maya was a speed demon, driving far faster than the speed limit in her rose colored Sudan. Edna sat in the front beside her, gripping the door handle until croissant moons formed on the palm of her hand where her fingernails rested. Nya and Jay sat in the back holding each other's hands. Nya, oddly, was the one trying to calm Jay.

"Nothing's wrong," Nya panted between contractions, "She's just decided she wants to meet the world early."

"I'm not really surprised Nya," Maya commented as she flew by a family in a purple minivan, "Especially you, but both you and Kai were born early."

"Let's just hope we get to the hospital on time," Edna commented.

They wouldn't. Maya slowed to a stop as police lights flashed ahead. They were going nowhere.

Nya tightened her grip on Jay's arm, "Hospital or not, she's coming now!" Nya clenched her teeth together.

"Hold on, I've got this!" Maya put the car in park marched out onto the icy road. She threw open Nya's door, "Jay, I need you to grab the towels out of the trunk, all of them."

Jay climbed over the back of his seat and began grabbing the towels.

"Edna, there's a first aid kit in the glove compartment. Nya, you're doing great darling."

Maya continued giving Edna orders as Nya laid across the back seats and Jay sat beside her holding her hand, looking as pale as the ice outside.

Tears streamed down Nya's face, "Next time, Jay," Nya whispered, "let's have our baby in a hospital. I wouldn't mind being drugged up before this."

"Okay love, we will."

Nya screamed.

"Jay, I need another towel," Maya reached out an empty hand. Jay shakily handed her one.

There was another scream. Only this time it wasn't Nya's.

Nya propped herself up and wiped her wet hair away from her forehead. Maya wrapped the baby in a towel and handed her to Nya.

"Hi Isabelle," Nya smiled brightly, "Welcome to the world. We love you so much."

Maya and Edna made eye contact sharing a knowing look. In Nya's arms, their atonement child laughed for the first time.

 _August 3, 1986:_

Maya sat alone just outside the monastery writing in her journal.

"What's up chica?" an all too familiar voice asked.

Maya smiled meakly at him, "Just... reflecting."

"You know, if you wanna talk, I'm willing to listen," Ray offered.

"I know." So Maya told him everything, how she'd aborted her child and regretted it every day.

"What if you bought a locket and buried it? I know it's not closure, but it's something."

Ray and Maya bought a locket the next day. Maya wrapped it in a shoe box, and she and Ray buried it behind the monastery.

"I want to name my baby," Maya told him, "It just feels right that she should have a name."

Nya.

Maya had no idea God would give her her Nya back ten years later.

Maya buried the locket, and she and Ray walked away silently as Maya cried, out of mourning for her child, and for the forgiveness she finally felt.

 _Summer 1995:_

"Ed! There's a baby out here!" Edna cried. She couldn't understand. She'd been straightening things up, when a shriek of laughter had led her to investigate. A baby boy hugging a giraffe, elephant creature laughed at the clouds above.

Ed came running up behind her.

"There's a baby!" Ed laughed, "A baby! God sent us a baby!"

 _December 14, 2018:_

"Mom?" Kai lightly shook Maya's shoulder. When he and the rest of the guys arrived at the hospital, they'd found Kai's parents and Jay's parents asleep in the pews of the hospital chapel. Why they were there, Kai didn't understand, but he just wanted to know where he could go to meet his niece.

Maya woke up, slightly confused, "Kai!" She smiled. Her eyes darted to the nativity scene at the front of the room, "You know, God sent us Jesus to forgive us of our sins. You may not know this, but Jesus sent me you and Nya to remind me he'd forgiven me. I love you Kai. Don't forget that."

"I won't Mom."

 _December 15, 2018:_

Nya and Jay returned to the monastery for the first time in two weeks.

"It's going to be hard saying goodbye to this place," Jay sighed.

Nya nodded, "But it'll be worth it. We'll have more time to spend alone with Isabelle."

On cue, Isabelle let out a happy shriek, announcing that she'd woken from her nap.

"Surprise!" Kai, Lloyd, Cole, Zane, and Wu shouted when Jay opened the door.

Packages of baby toys and diapers, and baby food (not purreed chicken thankfully) were stacked on a table.

"You guys! You didn't have to!" Nya gasped.

"But we wanted to," Lloyd explained.

"We wanted our niece to feel at home," Cole added.

"About that..." Jay sighed, "We're buying a house."

"What?" Kai exclaimed, "you can't just leave us. When are we supposed to see Isabelle?"

"I'm sure you can come visit," Nya replied, "It's time Kai. Jay and I have talked, and it's time for us to settle down and be a family."

 _December 24, 2019:_

The sound of bells rang through the house as Isabelle toddled around shaking her favorite Christmas ornament. Nya and Jay laughed as they began placing plates and napkins around the table.

"How long until everyone gets here?" Jay asked.

"Half an hour," Nya replied. The guys and their parents were coming to spend Christmas there.

Isabelle ran into the kitchen and handed Nya the bell ornament, "For you Mama!"

"Thank you sweetie," Nya smiled.

Isabelle grinned and ran off to find another ornament to play with, her innocent laughter sounding through the house.

 **Alright, so I'd love to chat with all of you a bit, but I promised I'd post this on December 14, and it's cutting it close right now. Life really got busy, and I've been working really hard to meet my deadline, so I'm not going to let an author's note ruin it all. Thank you for reading this. As always, I'm thankful for how wonderful all of you are. You make this a place I love to stay around. Thank you. I hope you all enjoyed this Christmas special, even if it wasn't one hundred percent Christmas themed. Thank you for reading. God bless and merry early Christmas!**

 **Ps. Did you guys notice how December 14 is such an important piece in the story, and the final part came out on December 14? Yeah, I did that on purpose, but apparently I should've picked a later date to give myself more time. Anywho, I just wanted to let you all know that was intentional.**

 **#God's Not Dead!**


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